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Maryland transportation officials announced Monday that drivers will be allowed to use the 7 miles of toll lanes free of charge from Dec. 6-12 to help test tolling equipment.

Two new express toll lanes run in each direction of I-95, stretching from the Interstate 895 interchange in Baltimore City to north of Route 43 in White Marsh.

The Maryland Transportation Authority took members of the press on a tour of the new express lanes on Tuesday, showing how there are no toll plazas on the highway. Instead, there are overhead electronic toll collection devices that collect tolls electronically via E-ZPass or video tolling.

MdTA officials said drivers with E-ZPasses will pay $1.75 during peak hours, $1.40 during off-peak hours and 70 cents per overnight trip. The toll rates apply to drivers of passenger vehicles, motorcycles and light trucks. There would also be an extra charge for drivers who don't use an E-ZPass.

"During peak time, it's 25 cents per mile, nonpeak is 20 cents, overnight is 10 cents, so during the peak time period, it's $1.75," said Deb Sharpless, deputy executive director of the MdTA.

Officials said traveling the toll lanes could save drivers more than five minutes per trip.

"We expect to be able to get, during peak hours, which are the morning and evening rush (hours), several thousand cars onto those I-95 toll lanes, which will allow those folks to be able to travel relatively congestion-free," said David LaBella, the project's manager.

"We do not expect that people would use this road every day but we do expect that people will absolutely use it when they need it most -- when they're trying to get to a soccer game, when they're trying to get to a doctor's appointment or they're trying to get to (Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport)," said Cheryl Sparks, of the MdTA.